The Earflap Chronicles, Continued

By Paul Lukas, on August 29th, 2011

Hurricane, shmurricane.

I don’t mean to make light of a storm that killed 21 people and has left millions without power. But in my part of Brooklyn, thankfully, it was mostly a big nothing. I didn’t lose power, internet, or sleep. No downed trees on my block, and very few in my neighborhood. Hope all of Uni Watch’s eastern seaboard readers were as fortunate as I was.

Now then. As longtime readers are aware, I’m mildly obsessed with the history of the baseball earflap. Here’s a brief recap of what I’ve previously reported:

1940: White Sox second baseman Jackie Hayes suffers repeated beanings and fashions a primitive helmet that includes an earflap. (Over three decades later, Hayes is quoted in this article saying, “I was the first to wear a batting helmet.”)

1964: Tony Gonzalez of the Phillies is beaned and soon begins wearing a helmet with a pre-molded earflap. This appears to be the first helmet designed to include the flap.

Up until now, those have been the major dates on the earflap timeline. But we’re going to have to add a new chapter to the annals of flappery now that the increasingly indispensable Mike Hersh has found this:

That’s from the September 1920 issue of The American Hatter. The text is a little hard to read, so I’ve transcribed it for you:

The sad death of Ray Chapman, the Cleveland shortstop, from a blow on the head by a pitched ball, has inspired the designing of the protective helmet shown herewith. The helmet is like a football helmet, except that it has a visor, such as is on the regular baseball caps. Magistrate F.X. McQuade, treasurer of the Giants, states the club officials are considering adopting such a helmet as is shown. The idea of the headgear has been ridiculed but it is believed helmets will be adopted and used while at bat. It will be remembered that Roger Bresnahan was ridiculed when he appeared at the Polo Grounds fifteen years ago with chest protector and shin guards, but they are now taken as a matter of course, as are the heavy catcher’s mitts so scorned years ago.

A few points here:

• It’s not clear if this helmet was ever used on a big league diamond (or anywhere else but in that one photo shoot), but it’s fascinating to see that a Giants team official was willing to be associated with it.

• The reference to Roger Bresnahan is particularly interesting, since Hall of Fame curator Tom Shieber recently debunked the myth that Bresnahan was the first to wear shinguards. Apparently that myth had taken hold at a very early date.

• Whoever wrote “[I]t is believed helmets will be adopted and used while at bat” was exactly right — but was way ahead of his time.

Remember, kids: The past is what actually happened; history is how we document (and, inevitably, distort) what happened. So I have a feeling earflap history will probably be revised again, as new information becomes available.

+ + + + +

What a busy, productive fella: Two new posts — at least one of which I think you’ll find particularly interesting — went up over the weekend at the Permanent Record blog.

+ + + + +

Uni Watch News Ticker: The NFL is once again rolling out the pink gear throughout the month of October. … New football uniforms for Sacramento State. … Rudy Gutierrez was watching some footage from Todd Marinovich’s first start with the Raiders back in 1991 and noticed that Marinovich’s helmet decal appeared to have been customized with sunglasses and a mustache. Anyone know more about this? … The Packers will wear their throwbacks on Oct. 16. … Coupla new Brewers-themed shirts from Tararrel & Sons. Company honcho Z.B. Tararrel explains the “Heartbreakers” design thusly: “My favorite pregame moment at County Stadium was just before the national anthem at night games, when a small plane would often fly over, pulling a banner for a nearby strip club called Heartbreakers. As a kid, I learned of the existence of strip clubs by asking my dad what Heartbreakers was.” Ah, my Milwaukee. … Evan Snyder notes that West Virginia is another team that has some players wear helmet stripes in practice. Anyone know the specific protocol being employed? … Cool Phillies theme for this My Morning Jacket poster (from Tom Gabor). … In case you missed it over the weekend, here’s the Orioles’ Mike Flanagan memorial patch. … New third shirt for Everton. … Love the simplicity and elegance of the chest insignia on this basketball jersey. Check out the gorgeous tag, too. … Here’s the latest story about how NFL players don’t like to wear thigh and knee pads (thanks, Ricko). … Not often that you see the old English “D” on a football helmet. That’s Donaldsonville High School in Louisiana (from Chris Mycoskie). … Speaking of Louisiana high schools using other teams’ logos, a bayou school has gotten a cease-and-desist order from the University of Florida (from Ethan Allen). … According to an item in the middle of this column, “The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association endorsed a recommendation that its members honor former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel by wearing a necktie or sweater vest in season-opening games.” Sure, honoring a liar who resigned in disgrace, that sounds like a good idea (from Jason Hillyer). … Rugby World Cup note from Paddy Fleming, who writes: “Ireland’s shirt sponsor is the telecommunications company O2, with the O2 logo appearing on the front of the jerseys. I don’t like it, but I’ve learned to live with it. On Saturday, however, they decided to put that logo along with ‘Money’ (O2 now has a money card called ‘O2 Money’). They look like an amateur team being spnosored a local business. It’s too big, too low, and has completely crossed the douchebag threshold for jersey sponsorship.” … Oh great, the undershirt collar swoosh has migrated from MLB to the NFL. That’s Charles Woodson from Friday night, wearing one of those modified collars (other Packers were wearing it last year) that just happen to reveal a strategically placed undershirt logo (from Tim E. O’Brien). … Also from Tim: Five players on the Colts are trying a new prototype helmet. … One more from Tim: “Indiana’s practice jerseys have three little stripes at the base of the collar. They look like stitching but seem to serve no purpose. Since these are Adidas products, I have to assume that it’s logo creep. Even for a sports uniform manufacturer, this seems redundant and evil. These stripes appear to be, like, four inches from an Adidas logo.” … Coachie Ballgames Photoshopped a collage of horrifically bright MLS looks from the 1990s. … Friday’s post about Adam Walter’s Northern-striped tattoo prompted a note from Steve Sharp, who’s in the process of getting an argyle sock tattoo. “My tattoo artist was in the army and said that back in the day, guys would get all-black socks tattooed on their legs,” he says. “So if they were running late to line-up (is that what it is called?) and couldn’t find their socks or didn’t have time to put them on, it always looked like they had them on so they wouldn’t get into trouble.” … The hurricane led to an unusual NBA product placement (from Steve Russell). … Some of the best vintage jerseys on eBay are sold by an operation called In Vintage We Trust. Now the IVWT guys have started a blog that covers lots of Uni Watch-ish issues. Recommended. … Big congrats to Kirsten, who’s prominently featured in this article about neon signage. … Speaking of Kirsten, remember here collection of volvelles? Here’s her latest find. I’m totally jealous, natch. … Why would the Giants be using a Dodgers-branded bat weight for a home game? (Screen shot by Sean Robbins.) … The price has gotten out of hand, but I’ve had my eye on this spectacular flannel jersey, which was used in a movie back in the 1940s. … “The watermark on the back of the UConn men’s basketball jerseys contains several symbolisms recognizing the two championships the Huskies had won prior to this past season,” says Gregory Koch. “According to someone on the UConn fan message board, a team source has confirmed this will be changed to reflect the third championship, but it’s not clear if this will mean a completely new watermark design or just adding a third star.” … If you’re from Wisconsin (or if you just have a crush on Wisconsin, like I do), you probably know about the legend of the Hodag. So I laughed when I saw this jersey. … New football uniforms for Southern. Pretty nice, no? “The article mentions how EA NCAA Team Builder was used to help design the prototype,” says Prentice James. … New football uniforms for Western Carolina. … Marty Hick, whose devotion to proper croquet attire has previously been chronicled here, recently had a birthday, and his wife, Holly, marked the occasion by getting him this sensational card, originally printed 1942. Look closely and you’ll see that the gentleman’s mallet handle is actually a toothpick!

Let’s play two: Phil and I are attending today’s Mets/Marlins doubleheader at Shea (which is sort of like winning a contest where first prize is a week in North Dakota and second prize is two weeks). I’m heading out there a bit early, because I want to see if there was any storm damage to a particular something that’s located near the ballpark. Don’t wanna jinx it by spelling it out, but those of you who’ve followed my extracurricular projects can probably guess what I’m referring to. Keep your fingers crossed, think good thoughts, etc.

158 comments to The Earflap Chronicles, Continued

The whole dress like Tressel thing had me thinking. Do people care anymore if someone lies to them?

I mean the State of Ohio, doesn’t seem to care that Tressel lied, “Its all the NCAA’s fault, or the rules are stupid and need to be changed.”

Eric|
August 29, 2011 at 7:57 am |

People seem willing to forgive a lot from their leaders. Going beyond things like philandering and the like, there are people who can overlook the activities of even the most brutal or corrupt dictators and either rationalize their actions or simply deny the actions. Some would be even be willing to bring them back to power.

In no way am I connecting the actions, activities, or even hairstyles of Tressel to these dictators, but rather pointing out that if people were willing to do these things for the pure evil in the world, then such support for a flawed, yet successful football coach is not surprising.

Here in MN, I think we’d build a statue to the next coach that can win more than half their Big Ten games without losing to North Dakota State. (Are you listening Jerry Kill?)

Agreed about it being fucked up. I wonder if this is because we (society) over-emphasize the individual’s accomplishments (Tressel) over the accomplishment of the institution (Ohio State).

Keith S|
August 29, 2011 at 3:43 pm |

I don’t know that this behavior is exclusive to college football, but as a younger man, I was living in Oklahoma at the time the Sooners were acting like a gang of morons and criminals (off the field). This was all under the “watchful” eye of Coach Switzer.

Switzer “resigned” as the Sooners head coach, after winning three national titles. He instantly became the King. If you talk to a Sooner fan now, or anyone living in Oklahoma for more than 15 years, and ask who the King is…they’ll tell you it’s Switzer.

Now, he may or may not have lied to the NCAA, so I don’t know that you can draw a parallel to Tressel, but the circumstances are similar.

I guess it’s no different than the way we idolize our pro athletes. As long as you win, you can get away with almost anything. It is indeed screwed up.

Tony C.|
August 29, 2011 at 7:58 am |

while it sucks that he lied and tried to cover up so minor, but from reading other articles, the reason why they wanted to honor him is due to being a nice guy. They all have nothing but nice things to say about the man from their personal dealings with Tressel. JT being a generally nice guy seems to be lost in this whole debacle.

… the reason why they wanted to honor him is due to being a nice guy. … JT being a generally nice guy seems to be lost in this whole debacle.

Regardless of how nice JT is or isn’t, the timing of this clearly indicates that there’s more to this gesture than an innocent decision to honor a “good guy.” If a scandal-free JT had announced prior to the season that this would be his last on the sidelines at tOSU, then a statewide sweater-vest-palooza could be seen as a nod to a successful non-jerk. In this instance, not so much.

DanKing9|
August 29, 2011 at 10:01 am |

OHSAA is based in Columbus and, like the majority of the state, I’m sure they are Ohio State fans. From the OSU fans I know most see it as a media and NCAA witch-hunt that brought him down instead of him actually doing something wrong. And Tony I’m sure he is a good guy, but when you write a book about honesty and integrity, and then lie to investigators you kind of ruin your credibility.

Kyle|
August 29, 2011 at 10:20 am |

More importantly which the high school association approved it, many (most) of the coaches are not going to be participating. Here is an article from Cleveland.com where they polled area coaches. 48 said no, 25 said yes, 9 undecided.

I kinda wish they’d just say screw accuracy and make a green version of that jersey to wear with their normal helmet.

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 12:08 pm |

I still say they should bring back the 35-36 raglan green-and-golds. 36 was a championship team too…

Vasav|
August 29, 2011 at 8:00 am |

“…if they were running late to line-up (is that what it is called?)…”

It’s called “formation,” typically. And that is a great idea.

R.S. Rogers|
August 29, 2011 at 8:09 am |

My IMDB searching for the movie that Michigan Whales jersey appeared in has turned up bupkis. Which, like, dang, because now I totally want to see whatever movie that was.

Tim|
August 29, 2011 at 8:11 am |

Speaking of Hodags, Wisconsin’s ultimate frisbee club (usually a national contender) are the Hodags. Pretty toight jersey, too: http://hodagultimate...

scott|
August 29, 2011 at 8:17 am |

Nothing in that 1920 article says that Roger Bresnahan was the first to wear a chest protector or shin guards, so it doesn’t seem there is a need to somehow debunk the contents of that story.

But it also remains true that Bresnahan was an innovator, as his SABR biography makes clear:

“More influential were his efforts with shin guards. After discovering in a home-plate collision that Red Dooin of the Phillies wore papier-mâché protectors under his stockings, Bresnahan showed up on Opening Day 1907 wearing a huge pair of shin guards modeled after a cricketer’s leg pads. At first Roger’s innovation met with ridicule and protest-Pirates manager Fred Clarke insisted the guards posed a danger to sliding runners-but by 1909 a less bulky version was in general use.”

Nothing in that 1920 article says that Roger Bresnahan was the first to wear a chest protector or shin guards…

It certainly implies it. The relevant line is: “It will be remembered that Roger Bresnahan was ridiculed when he appeared at the Polo Grounds fifteen years ago with chest protector and shin guards, but they are now taken as a matter of course…”

The clear implication is that Bresnahan pioneered the wearing of this gear.

R.S. Rogers|
August 29, 2011 at 9:20 am |

Gotta disagree here. There’s no such implication. Rather, what we have is a writer assuming that the reader will be aware of Bresnahan (A) having worn pads at the Polo Grounds and (B) being ridiculed for it. What’s implicit is public knowledge of that incident, not the novelty or chronological priority of that incident.

Strongly disagree. The idea is that they’re anticipating ridicule for the helmet because it’s a new thing. The Bresnahan example, therefore, is cited because it was a new thing (supposedly). That’s the whole basis of the comparison they’re making.

R.S. Rogers|
August 29, 2011 at 10:42 am |

Right, but the specific novelty we’re talking about, and the only novelty implicit in the text, is the novelty of public awareness. Not the novelty of the-first-time-it-ever-happened. The key aspect in the text at hand is the phenomenon of public ridicule, in that the author assumes the reader is aware of a past incident in which someone wearing a new form of safety equipment was ridiculed, and addresses the probability that early adopters of this new safety equipment would likewise be ridiculed. Whether Bresnahan was the very first person to actually wear said equipment, or merely one of the first, is immaterial to the point being made. If someone prior to Bresnahan wore the tools of ignorance but was not ridiculed in the national press for having done so, that prior incident would have no bearing on the point the author is making.

Important to remember we’re looking at advertising copy, not a scholarly article in the American Historical Review. What is the author’s purpose, and how does his text serve that purpose? As such, the author is not asserting chronological priority for the named incident, he is appealing to public knowledge of a prior like circumstance. Whether Bresnahan was the first or not, when he wore shinguards in 1907, it was a new thing. What we have here is not evidence that the “myth” of Bresnahan’s chronological priority began early. What we have is evidence that Bresnahan gained early, probably the first, public notoriety for the practice in question.

Rob Ullman|
August 29, 2011 at 8:39 am |

Speak for yourself. Woke up from a second night without power to find that while my wife’s office was open, both kids daycare was closed… So I get to entertain two kids under 4 with no electricity or AC all day. Irene is a bitch and a whore.

teenchy|
August 29, 2011 at 10:33 am |

In the same boat with you, Mr. Ullman, only with one 7-year-old. Good luck.

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 11:03 am |

“OMG! You kids don’t know this, but the ultra-high hum of elecricity keeps the kid-brain-sucking Voracious Oozer away!!! Your only chance to escape him is to stay hidden under your bed. All day. And be very, very quiet.

The founder of Lego, Ole Kirk Christiansen, coined a phrase in 1932 he used as the company’s motto that I still believe holds true today: “Only the best is good enough.” Seems that his values should be adopted by a lot of other people in this world.

I know we used Lego in school for a variety of physics experiments in the labs, and I have more Lego packed away at home than most toy stores do. If there’s one thing that Lego does well, it bridges generational gaps. It literally is a timeless toy.

Oddly, it’s been very warm and dry this year. I’ve used the pool more than I ever have this summer. Of course, having all that time off not working full-time could have contributed, but I’ll pretend that didn’t happen. LOL

Desmond Jones|
August 29, 2011 at 8:47 am |

Completely random, I know, but just a thought…
Do you think that the Pro Combat uniforms(B.K.A the Amateur Pacifist Costumes) are going to fade away, and eventually die off(Or even worse, transfer over altogether) in favor of the NFL once they start designing all of the unis?
I can already see it now: The NFL and Nike agreeing to do a one time a year throwback uniform for select NFL teams, to recognize(read: destroy)the tradition, pageantry, and blah blah blah of the most loved NFL teams. Does this sound like a likely possibility to anyone else? I think Nike will eat up the opportunity to throw themselves all over the NFL…
In the event of that(Cross our fingers in hope that it doesn’t)would Nike cut the idea of these once a year eye sores(with the occasional gem) in college or keep them around to reward (read: punish) us fans of good looking uniforms for years to come?

I think the NFL will be using Nike’s “Speed Machine” line next year. And Nike can only go as far as the NFL teams will allow them to. In other words: all teams not named the Vikings, Falcons, Cardinals, Bengals, Jaguars, Patriots, Broncos (possibly — but very unlikely — the Chargers), and definitely the Seahawks will see little to no change to their uniforms. Unless you’re a fan of the Ospreys of Washington, you have nothing to worry about.

Keith S|
August 29, 2011 at 3:50 pm |

In time, I believe that the Pro Combat will transform into the next big thing. Nike has the power to make these uniforms appealing for recruit aged kids…so teams find themselves either having to keep up with the trend, or fall back on tradition.

I suspect that the bigger schools will do whatever it takes to keep up with the Jones’. I (unfortunately) think the days of regular old uniforms in college football are going to end up in “throw back” games.

The NFL doesn’t have to worry about recruiting, so their only focus is on the end consumer. I can’t see them allowing Nike (or any other uni manufacturer) going too crazy.

Then again, I don’t have any inside knowledge of any of this, so it could all be worthless.

Desmond Jones|
August 29, 2011 at 6:10 pm |

Keith-
Very true. While the NFL doesn’t have to worry about recruiting, they do have to worry about jersey sales. These jerseys are actually quite popular, and they will sell like hotcakes in the NFL, bringing more money to both NFL teams and Nike. And we all know the most important thing is money!

Moono-
I’m aware that they’ll probably be using the speed machine line, as it’s the top of the Nike uniform chart right now. So the most changes some teams will see are sleeve stripes being a bit smaller and a couple of other slight changes to fit the mechanics of the uniforms. The primary uniforms of the NFL teams aren’t what I’m getting at. But every team has throwbacks that they wear each year, once a year. Can you see Nike pulling in a whole ad campaign for 10-12 special teams each year, in the same tradition as they do with Nike?

The whole dress like Tressel thing had me thinking. Do people care anymore if someone lies to them?

I would rephrase that. I think people no longer care so much about the truth, or about facts. They care more about sticking to certain narratives that they’ve embraced.

We saw this with the MLB logo and Killebrew. Even when the guy who designed the logo told them how he did it, many people preferred (and still prefer) to embrace the myth.

We also see it in other facets of American life, where stories are routinely distorted and propagandized (Pat Tillman), where conspiracy theories that used to be relegated to the lunatic fringe now take hold in the mainstream (birthers), and where science is routinely denigrated or flat-out ignored (creationism).

A lot of this, I think, has to do with the fragmentation of media and the internet. Whatever your point of view — mainstream, fringe, rational, eccentric, or otherwise — it’s now possible to find a TV channel or a web site that represents it and feeds it back to you. And if you somehow can’t find that media outlet, you can just create it yourself. Either way, you become connected to a community of like-minded people. That community may be small compared to the larger population, but it’s often big enough to create the illusion that you and your like-mindeds are part of a much larger, substantive movement. When people feel that way, they’re not going to be receptive to countervailing information, even if it happens to be demonstrably true.

Case in point: This web site! If you read Uni Watch every day, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that most sports fans care about stirrups, or logo creep — or about uniforms, period — when in fact that is not the case. I’d like to think we stick to facts and truths, but those facts and truths are way more important to us than they are to the public at large. Just another echo chamber.

Eric|
August 29, 2011 at 9:06 am |

Excellent points.

I would say that Uni Watch sticks to facts, truths, and opinions–but for the most part, the opinions are not put forth as truths or facts…which to me, at least, is a key difference between UW and at least the plurality of the media.

R.S. Rogers|
August 29, 2011 at 9:28 am |

There’s facts and there’s values. UniWatch consistently hews to, and even advances the discovery and knowledge of, facts. UniWatch values certain realms of fact above others, and that ordering of values is peculiar and a distinctly unorthodox ordering of values. But on the fact side, one trusts UniWatch to be true, or at least to value factual truth. Within the realm of values that leads one to care about uniform aesthetics.

is it really a tribute (or a successful one) if only a third participate? (see my previously posted article)

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 6:41 pm |

You can hear a lot just by listening…

to Mr. Rogers.

mike 2|
August 29, 2011 at 11:30 am |

Stephen Colbert coined the word truthiness but my favourite definition (to drag this into the sports world) is from Ken Dryden:

“truthiness is something that is spoken as if true that one wants others to believe is true, that said often enough with enough voices orchestrated in behind it, might even sound true, but is not true.”

As the great philosopher A. Bunker once proclaimed while trying to explain the power of religion to an agnostic meathead, “It’s faith. Faith is when you believe something that nobody in his right mind would ever believe.”

Jim Vilk|
August 29, 2011 at 12:44 pm |

People didn’t care about being lied to long before the internet. There was the National Enquirer, which was a go-to source for too many folks I knew.

West Virginia is another team that has some players wear helmet stripes in practice. Anyone know the specific protocol being employed?

The stripe allows coaches to see where players’ eyes are during practice and in film of practice, as our very own Coleman found out and shared in the comments here. The stripe points in the directon the player is looking.

Those SU uniforms would be nice if they didn’t do monochrome powder blue. I love the color, but seeing it monochrome kinda turns me off to it.

Western Carolina? What the fuck is up with the pants stripes? I wonder if the guy who designed the Vikings uniforms had a say on what happened here.

Also, what’s that thing on Western Carolina’s left part of their chest?

Connie|
August 29, 2011 at 10:33 am |

Lots of unsettling news in today’s ticker…

1. CELTIC PUSSYCAT.

“… Rugby World Cup note from Paddy Fleming, who writes: ‘Ireland’s shirt sponsor is the telecommunications company O2, with the O2 logo appearing on the front of the jerseys. I don’t like it, but I’ve learned to live with it. On Saturday, however, they decided to put that logo along with ‘Money’ (O2 now has a money card called ‘O2 Money’). They look like an amateur team being spnosored a local business. It’s too big, too low, and has completely crossed the douchebag threshold for jersey sponsorship’…”

And they’re playing like shyte.

2. LUKAS DOMESTIC UPHEAVAL.

Paul is your modern man, and evinces magnanimity for the storm of success enjoyed by the secretive Kirsten. [“I’m totally jealous” is easy pickings for anyone schooled by Derrida.] The good ink for Project Neon, the unbelievable set of Japanese pre-WW2 graphics from last week, and then today’s astonishing Bake-O-Meter. I don’t know, earflap history is certainly exciting, but…

3. COOLEST MAN IN THE WORLD LIST

Troublesome intrusion by Steve Sharp this morning on a rarely-modified list of the great humans of our time. That argyle socks tattoo… Transcendent.

4. NODAK SLUR.

Sorry to pick on Paul, again. No, no, wait. His analysis of the tribal dumbing-downs encouraged by media proliferation is really astute. But then he fritters it all away with a casual throwaway line that puts North Dakota in the same punchline category as Philadelphia. No way! Philly sucks for sure, but NoDak is extremely cool. The topography, especially in the northern and western portions, runs to gorgeous, ocean-like swells of uplift and canyon. Check out Theodore Roosevelt’s old ranch site for a hint of the grandeur. Or Ian Frazier’s “Great Plains.” And the people! Dude, if you like Wisconsinites, you’ll love Dakotans. Then there’s the cuisine. Ask for a salad in Minot, and you’ll get canned fruitcup suspended in Jell-O. Heaven for carnivores and sky-lovers. Take back the slur or I’ll cancel my subscription.

The truth: I *agonized* over what to put in that line. I know the punchline is usually Philly, but I actually like Philly (plus they got clobbered by Irene, so it didn’t seem right to make them the butt of a joke today). Truth is, I like most parts of America, including NoDak, so I didn’t know what to put in there. Ended up choosing a place that’s (a) not heavily populated and (b) the least-visited state in the country, hoping I’d offend the fewest people that way.

But you’re right to call me out on it, Conn. As a small gesture of penance, here’s a travel article I wrote years ago, about fun things to do in NoDak:http://money.cnn.com...

The lesson: Don’t tell a joke if your heart isn’t in it.

Connie|
August 29, 2011 at 10:55 am |

Know what you mean. And I admit it: I like Philly, too. And, yeah, also gotta admit that, like you, I really like to spend time in most parts of this big funny country. Matter of fact, I’m a North America chauvinist: can’t get enough of Mexico and Canada, either. What great neighbors! Imagine if we bordered on Afghanistan and Germany.

mmwatkin|
August 29, 2011 at 11:46 am |

When in doubt, just use Detroit. People will get the joke and us Detroiters are pretty numb to cheap shots from places like New York.

Keith S|
August 29, 2011 at 3:53 pm |

“… hoping I’d offend the fewest people that way.”

I didn’t realize that thought ever crossed your mind.

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 6:46 pm |

There is of course the traditional punchline of my hometown in that joke. Although wasn’t that joke not being funny on the Tonight Show supposed to be a harbinger of Cleveland’s cultural rebirth that never happened?

i think “corporate dress” is all a plot to keep the good folks at crooks brothers, canali, brioni, kiton, isaia, etc., or to a lesser extent the chains like mens wearhouse, jos. a. bank & the department stores in business

surely there’s no reason for anyone to wear a shirt & tie to work anymore…i think sweatpants or cutoffs would look fine for all

hell, ballplayers shouldn’t even bother with uniforms either…they best just be as comfy as possible

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 11:19 am |

Again, not advocating. Just looking at one of the ways the current look seemed to have developed.

The rampant bagginess is a separate issue. I imagine that’s the influence of general fashion, which is influenced by the entertainment industry…among other things.

The Jeff|
August 29, 2011 at 11:38 am |

Yeah, be all sarcastic about it, Phil… but a tie is completely pointless. Let’s be honest here, there are lots of workplace dress codes that really serve no purpose beyond controlling employees. Your job is to sell cars, why do you need a tie? You work in a call center, it matters if you wear jeans? Etc…

Phil Hecken|
August 29, 2011 at 12:31 pm |

yes jeff…ties are completely pointless, as are stirrups

as is facemask color

hell, come to think of it, madden is completely pointless too

The Jeff|
August 29, 2011 at 12:50 pm |

No, Madden actually provides some amount of personal entertainment.

A tie is just a fashion accessory.

mike 2|
August 29, 2011 at 11:34 am |

In my corporate world, dress is indeed driven by entertainment.

Baggy is out and Don Draper is in. Slim fits, narrow ties, cuff links. It looks like 1965 around here.

No trend is irreversible.

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 6:54 pm |

Alas, I can’t wear the mod look. My shoulders are too wide. Either the chest fits and the jacket stops two inches short of my arms or the shoulders fit and I’m swimming in it. I’ll stick to the three or four brands that still make English cut suits.

Sean|
August 29, 2011 at 10:49 am |

“Also from Tim: Five players on the Colts are trying a new prototype helmet”

I didn’t catch the manufacturing company of this helmet. Does anyone know?

It sounds like it’s not a compant but just the safety expert they name in the video.

Kyle Allebach|
August 29, 2011 at 11:29 am |

Bill Simpson is who makes the helmet. He is a retired racer.

Mike V.|
August 29, 2011 at 11:02 am |

I have to say, it was very fun to read that little 1920’s snippet about the helmet. The writing and some of the words used were such treats to see in a sports related piece. For example, “…shown herewith” and “It will be remembered…”. It makes it sound so official. Great writing. It’s simplistic, matter-of-fact approach was refreshing. That made my day, thanks Paul.

Mike N.|
August 29, 2011 at 11:17 am |

So… this Thursday @ Bobby Dodd Stadium, tens of us watching Western Carolina vs. Georgia Tech on ESPN 3 will witness the following:

they literally reversed the front and the back of the jersey, or at least that appears to be what has happened. The front for Tech’s went all the way to the collar while the back stopped just before the stripes. I’d have to see the back to confirm this but that definitely appears to be the case.

Also why is Western Carolina wearing blue and gold when their colors are purple and gold?

I don’t think Russell has claimed the uniform Tech will be wearing this year as a new design, new uniform? yes, new design? no. Also they haven’t made that claim in this case either, although this is the first time I’ve seen the reverse of last year’s design (its not even an option on their uniform builder, so it is a new design).

abmir|
August 29, 2011 at 11:25 am |

Susan Petrone of the Cleveland Indians blog “It’s pronounced ‘Lajaway'” wrote about the Indians all going high-cuffed for Jim Thome:

“Jim Thome has always worn his socks all the way up to his knees in kind of a retro goofy farm-boy look that’s become even piquant as he’s gotten older (or maybe it’s just me who’s gotten older).”

Maybe i’m in the minority, but I’ve never thought visible stockings as a specifically rural look. Retro, sure. Goofy, there may some argument, but sure. What’s the farm-boy / high-socks connection, though?

Yet another writer who’s focusing on the wrong uni component. The point is not that Thome wears his socks high; it’s that he cuffs his pants high.

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 12:14 pm |

And, as I mentioned over the weekend, Thome’s decision to go high cuffed was as a tribute to his grandfather, who made it as high as AAA ball.

So the writer evidently didn’t exactly do much homework. And doesn’t, I think we can easily see, have much knowledge of uni history, either.

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm |

I think at this point it’s a matter of synechdoche. She and everyone else is saying high-socked when they mean high-cuffed. We all know what they mean and it’s not a bastardization of the meaning of the words the way irony has gotten lost.

Coleman|
August 29, 2011 at 12:09 pm |

Bernard, I’m replying from my BB so I can’t click a reply button, but thank you for the credit. I thought I was losing my mind for a second there thinking I’d mentioned what purpose the stripe serves at WVU.

Bernard|
August 29, 2011 at 12:39 pm |

Sure thing man. I knew I’d read an explanation somewhere. Turned out it was right here!

LGM

Greg|
August 29, 2011 at 12:12 pm |

Everyone in Ohio still loves tressel because it’s easier to make terrelle Pryor the bad guy

=bg=|
August 29, 2011 at 12:38 pm |

Let’s be clear. As someone who lived 27 years in Ohio, I can say this with certainty.

There is only ONE pro football team in Ohio.

The Ohio State University Buckeyes.

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 3:25 pm |

You guys did have one once, up near the mouth of the Cuyahoga… a team that owned its league four straight years, then came into the NFL and proved their dominance was no fluke by winning their fifth overall championship in a row, and going on to ten straight title games in their first ten years.

Too bad it all went downhill after the 60s… but at least the Browns have a more recent title than the Lions, so they’ve got that going for them…

Jimmy Lonetti|
August 29, 2011 at 12:43 pm |

Regarding the helmet flap flap, a dvd of a movie that was out for like a weekend finally came out; The Perfect Game. http://www.theperfec... A story about a Mexican little league team that won the Little League World Series in 1957. I took my son to it the weekend it came out. Say what you will about the actual movie but they really made the effort to get the uni’s right. Right down to the almost wrestlers like headgear the kids wore while they were at bat. Maybe someone can track down a screen grab of this. Would be interesting to track down the outfit that was responsible for providing the uniforms and equipment for this movie.

Stuck in my head cuz figured I’d see if he ever turned up in organized baseball.

Connie|
August 29, 2011 at 2:47 pm |

They were from Monterrey, if I remember. I was playing Little League myself at the time, a weak-hit no-glove first baseman for the Merrill Hardware Tigers. I don’t know what went wrong…

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 6:18 pm |

Somewhat related, I suppose.

My copy disappeared a long time ago, but this is a long forgotten but still intriguing work checking on the 1954 LLWS champions from Schenectady, NY twenty years later, generally investigating the question, “What happens when the biggest thing in your life happens when you’re 12 years old?”

Here’s my thoughts on the Indiana football practice Jerseys. The Hoosiers have only made it to 9 Bowl games. They won 3 of those.

My guess is each line represents a Bowl Game victory. Three stripes are sometimes just three stripes, although rarely are they just that on an Adidas uniform.

The Jeff|
August 29, 2011 at 1:01 pm |

Neat theory… but when you can get invited to a bowl for a 7-4 3rd place season… is that *really* something to commemorate? The 1979 “Holiday Bowl”? Really?

I think it’s just Adidas being Adidas.

Douglas|
August 29, 2011 at 1:10 pm |

they did knock off undefeated BYU in the 1979 Holiday Bowl, and there were only 15 bowls back then. I’d say that’s something to commemorate.

Its likely an Adidas thing, if it has to do with the bowls I bet Adidas came up with the idea cause it corresponded with their 3-stripes.

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 2:20 pm |

Oh, no, couldn’t just be adidas.
Everything needs to symbolize something.
Maybe the three stripes stand for Greatness.
(Do I really need a sarcasm tag here?)

Damn. The Jeff and me on the same page again.
Did one of us wake up in an alternate universe?

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 2:55 pm |

I don’t know… looking closely at the white jersey in the first pic, there does look to be some sort of seam that goes straight down between the numbers, but gets lost somewhere in the folds at the waistline. The shots of the red jerseys are inconclusive, as they’re not a good angle to see the full front of the jerseys clearly.

For what purpose any of this is is anybody’s guess, though.

Jeremy|
August 29, 2011 at 5:07 pm |

I seem to recall that the Hoosiers have some historical thing with stripes, don’t they? Like in their stadium or something? I’ve never really cared about college sports, but I believe I read something about that, maybe even on this site? Phil? Paul? Any backup on this?

Oakville Endive|
August 29, 2011 at 1:08 pm |

The Sacramento State helmet – looks pretty similar to the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the 1970’s.

If Southern wearing the all powder blues – and Grambling comes up with something unique – say all gold, the Bayou Classic might be worth a look – too bad it’s played in the frigging darkest/most poorly lit stadium on the continent.

Nothing wrong with poking fun at North Dakota, they get mentioned so little, I would think any recognition would be welcomed.

When are the Winnipeg Jets releasing their unis – have they gotten a little gun shy based on some of the criticism for their logos?

They announced locally that the first preseason games between the Blue Jackets and the Jets – two split-squad games occurring at the same time in both cities – will be the first views of the new uniforms.

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 2:35 pm |

It cracks me up to see ads on some sites for retailers of questionable value purporting to have the new Jets unis, when the franchise hasn’t revealed the unis yet. Of course, when these advertisers have the gall to claim it’s “authentic” product when the actual product hasn’t been released to official retailers, then that just pisses me off.

1/2 point deduction for Puck Daddy not including the space in Uni Watch. :P

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 2:46 pm |

That said, loved the article. The Rob Ray video was great; any moron who gets onto the field of play is fair game for humiliation.

That Islanders jersey still makes me seasick. Of course, that particular one makes me think of one fan’s sign: “Kasparitis can be cured in our lifetime!” If I had to pick a “guilty pleasure” ugly jersey, it’d be the infamous Flying V. While utterly ridiculous, there’s just something about it that fascinates me, and I’d love to have a #21 Cam Neely black Flying V Canucks jersy in my collection, just to acknowledge that that actually happened.

Much like Osgood as an Islander happened. Yikes! But hey, at least he helped them make the playoffs, something that hasn’t happened often on the Island since they upset the defending champion Penguins back in ’93 en route to a Wales Conference Finals loss to the eventual champion Canadiens.

Puck Daddy is a great guy, and I really want to thank him for including me in a fun little project like that. If he’s reading this, thanks for the inclusion. I’m truly honoured to be included with some of the most-read bloggers out there.

teenchy|
August 30, 2011 at 7:30 am |

I thought Howard Cosell was the inspiration for The Count.

Jim Vilk|
August 29, 2011 at 2:01 pm |

“New football uniforms for Southern. Pretty nice, no?”

Mmmmmmm…

Kyle Allebach|
August 29, 2011 at 2:20 pm |

New trend started by Uni Watch; the sock tattoo.

Ricko|
August 29, 2011 at 2:23 pm |

“Okay, bb, let’s see if we can do this with MY sock tattoo next to YOUR tramp stamp.”

Rob S|
August 29, 2011 at 3:04 pm |

This just in: Jerry Richardson tells Cam Newton that a sock tattoo would be “acceptable”.

If only…

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 7:06 pm |

This just in: Jerry Richardson tells Cam Newton that a sock thigh pad tattoo would be “acceptable”.

If only…

Fix’d

jdreyfuss|
August 29, 2011 at 7:07 pm |

Apparently I fail at html.

This just in: Jerry Richardson tells Cam Newton that a sock thigh pad tattoo would be “acceptable”.

If only…

Fix’d

Wayne|
August 29, 2011 at 2:28 pm |

I’m originally from North Dakota and I always get a kick out of seeing or hearing about North Dakota in songs, news, etc. North Dakota really isn’t the most exciting place, but I’m happy I grew up there!

You should have one of your minions make some socks like these from the Mighty Accra Hearts of Oak circa 1960. Them’s the bomb! I’d have these mugs tattooed on my feet but a couple years ago I had my feet replaced with tank treads to help me better moon walk.

Steve Naismith|
August 29, 2011 at 3:49 pm |

Re: Earflap timeline, what about the jaw protector attached to the earflap? The first such example I can remember was Terry Steinbach, though there may very well have been earlier examples:

paul said the candelas are still standing, so that’s good to know right?

everyone behave and we’ll see ya on the morrow

Graf Zeppelin|
August 29, 2011 at 4:48 pm |

WHITE WHALE WATCH:

I’ve been trying to find evidence of whether the Mets were still wearing blue caps with the road grays at the beginning of the 1998 season, before making the black/blue cap (which was new that year, along with the black jersey) the de facto road cap.

I found this picture of John Olerud wearing road grays with blue cap and undersleeves. Now, it’s a little hard to tell whether there is a black drop-shadow on the lettering there, but consider these facts: Olerud joined the Mets in 1997, before the black infected the uniform, so it can’t be from ’95 or ’96. In 1997 the Mets wore the Jackie Robinson 50 patch on the right sleeve, which is missing from the Olerud pic, so it seems that this picture must be from 1998.

Unless, that is, the Robinson patch was not added to the uniform until after the April 15 ceremony at Shea. Since I don’t think that’s the case, it appears that the Mets were still wearing blue caps with the road grays at the beginning of the 1998 season.

Graf Zeppelin|
August 29, 2011 at 4:49 pm |

WHITE WHALE WATCH:

I’ve been trying to find evidence of whether the Mets were still wearing blue caps with the road grays at the beginning of the 1998 season, before making the black/blue cap (which was new that year, along with the black jersey) the de facto road cap.

I found this picture of John Olerud wearing road grays with blue cap (OK, helmet) and undersleeves. Now, it’s a little hard to tell whether there is a black drop-shadow on the lettering there, but consider these facts: Olerud joined the Mets in 1997, before the black infected the uniform, so it can’t be from ’95 or ’96. In 1997 the Mets wore the Jackie Robinson 50 patch on the right sleeve, which is missing from the Olerud pic, so it seems that this picture must be from 1998.

Unless, that is, the Robinson patch was not added to the uniform until after the April 15 ceremony at Shea. Since I don’t think that’s the case, it appears that the Mets were still wearing blue caps with the road grays at the beginning of the 1998 season.

Sam D.|
August 30, 2011 at 2:12 am |

The Mets wore blue and grey for one game toward the end of 1998, and that picture must be it. I remember watching it on TV when I was a kid. I think Hideo Nomo was pitching that game.

Brandon Boemann|
August 29, 2011 at 4:59 pm |

North Dakota isn’t too bad this time of year

Bryan H.|
August 29, 2011 at 5:25 pm |

No screenshot, but the Hamilton Nationals have brothers on the team. The goalie, Brett, wears just “Queener” on the back of his jersey while his brother has his full name on the back.

A post at the bottom of this thread suggests he drew them on himself and got fined for it during a 1990s playoff game. That would be 1991, since the Raiders didn’t make the playoffs in 1992. Take the unattributed post for what it is, but it sounds like a jumping off point for the investigation.

Awful. Teams just shouldn’t be allowed to wear practice jerseys in a regular season game. There’s something so bush league about it.

Nick|
August 29, 2011 at 7:33 pm |

There’s a lot worse states than North Dakota out there. I’m guessing you’ve never been there?

George N.|
August 29, 2011 at 7:36 pm |

Gary Cohen and crew keep referencing to the Mets’ tops as being the same ones as the blue “Los Mets” jerseys with just “Mets” on them.

Those guys are usually on the ball on stuff like this, so a huge WTF moment from them.

Greg B.|
August 29, 2011 at 8:02 pm |

Actually the blue tops don’t look so bad – certainly better than th eblack ones – and given they have black fill in the numbers and logo, the black caps at least harmonize in that respect. But I guess Gary & co. don’t remember the orange on the Los Mets jerseys, which looked great. Paul or Phil need to go to the aisleway near the broadcast booths and correct them between innings.

chuck|
August 29, 2011 at 8:12 pm |

Indians vs A’s game tonight, are the A’s jerseys dark green or black? They sure look black to me, but I have a cataract brewing in my right eye and it affects some shades of color to me now. A little help? thanks.

What color pants did the Titans wear last week? Sure, you could say “blue” but it wouldn’t actually answer the question, would it?. We use modifiers like “navy” or “powder” or “royal” (or even just “light” or “dark”) for a reason. If you really can’t get past the tradition of golden yellow being called athletic gold, then use the full name. Don’t call the Packers gold, call them athletic gold. Don’t call the Saints gold, call them vegas or metallic gold.

M-N|
August 29, 2011 at 8:15 pm |

Paul shield your eyes the blue with the black hats looks like shit.

daveclt|
August 29, 2011 at 8:37 pm |

It’s nice to see both Southern and Western Carolina model their new uniforms as regular young men, instead of going with the idiot tough guy look.

I’m sorry; the Giants have got to move their TV numbers down to the sleeves on their home uniforms. Those plain blue jerseys just don’t look right with the number on the shoulder and nothing on the sleeve. (Well, nothing but the Reebok logo, which makes it even worse…)

Every other team that has TV numbers on the shoulder has something on the sleeve. Even the Giants’ road jerseys have the Northwestern stripes on the sleeve (another reason why I like the Giants better in white). The only other NFL team that has no striping and no logos (i.e., nothing other than numbers and NNOB) on its jersey is the Raiders, and they have the TV numbers on the sleeve. Looks a lot better than the Giants.

Bill Banner|
August 29, 2011 at 9:47 pm |

Todd M. was an artist and my guess is he did the touch-up work on his helmet logo… Call it a cry for help or simply his way of saying his career preference wasn’t pro football quarterback. Sorry to disappoint you Dad.q

nobody|
August 29, 2011 at 10:49 pm |

dbaacks catcher miguel montero is wearing black gear tonight, including a helmet matching the saturday night blacks. no pics yet, but here he is on aug 11, the last time he played in the home whites, he wore red gear and a red helmet

=bg=|
August 29, 2011 at 11:49 pm |

From the USO:
Federer wearing white socks..with black over them. Just a little white trim shows.

My store got in a bunch of the Reebok NFL Equipment pink wristbands and bicep bands the other day. We also got a big brochure discussing how it was a deeper, darker shade of pink than is ordinarily associated with breast cancer, so as to avoid washout appearances. It just kind of made me chuckle a bit. I guess at least they didn’t say, a stonger shade, not a pastel pink, because these aren’t baby blankets. I just caught it as interesting because they made the point to specify the color difference. True though, it is deeper…

Michael Emody|
August 30, 2011 at 5:31 am |

The montage of 90’s MLS players is cool, but keep in mind, those are just the regular jerseys. The 90’s were a time of high fashion in goalie wear. And by high, I mean one look a the goalies gear was enough to cause a flashback in the minds of opposing players.